The film 'Naked Lunch,' based on William S. Burroughs' 1959 novel, will be screened at the Lawrence Arts Center.

courtesy of Criterion

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of William S. Burroughs, who was born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1914. A writer, painter, and spoken word artist, Burroughs is considered one of the seminal members of the Beat Generation. He spent his final years living in Lawrence, Kan.

Burroughs traveled the world with stops in cities such as London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, and Tangier. Those years of experimentation made their way into his writings. Today, he's probably as well-known for his low, flat, gravelly voice as his semi-autobiographical works about drug culture, such as Junkyand Naked Lunch.

"You know, they ask me if I were on a desert island and knew nobody would ever see what I wrote, would I go on writing. My answer is most emphatically yes. I would go on writing for company. Because I'm creating an imaginary—it's always imaginary—world in which I would like to live."

In 1981, Burroughs settled in Lawrence where he lived until his death at the age of 83 in 1997. The New York Times wrote that in Burroughs' final years, he "lived simply with three cats and indulged his interests in painting and photography and in collecting and discharging firearms."

Exhibitions, performances, films, and talks are scheduled in Lawrence to celebrate the life and legacy of William S. Burroughs, including these highlights:

Jan. 17 - March 2: William S. Burroughs, Creative Observer, Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence, Kan. An exhibition of Burroughs' collections and collaborative work with artists such as Kurt Cobain, Keith Haring, Robert Raushenberg, among others.

Jan. 19, 3 p.m.: A screening of the film William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, Lawrence Arts Center.

Feb. 1: Barry Miles, author of the new book Call Me Burroughs, in conversation with Ira Silverberg and James Grauerholtz, Lawrence Arts Center.

Feb. 4 - 16: William S. Burroughs: 100 Years of Expanding Consciousness, Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, 1301 Mississippi Street, Lawrence, Kan. The exhibition includes Burroughs' 1992 portfolio of texts and images, Seven Deadly Sins, as well as works by artists such as Jon Blumb, Keith Haring, and Robert Mapplethorpe.